With volatile marine fuel prices, changes in marine fuel legislation from one country to the next and concerns over availability how does a yacht owner keep in contact with his marine fuel broker or supplier when operating from offshore?
On smaller motor yachts where range is limited to coastal cruising, surfing the internet for marine fuel prices and availability followed by a call before departure is the most efficient use of resources.
When accessing a line ashore Broadband speeds range from 2Mb, 8Mb up to 24Mb. Data limitations from unlimited, 40Gb to 1GB. Some marinas are recognising the need for a Broadband connection and offer a plug-in point providing quick and easy access which can be utilised to get fuel market data and to email brokers, when alongside.
‘Marina’ Wi-Fi’ Broadband in the event there’s no nearby local Wi-Fi signal (hotspot) from a national provider; some marinas provide a wireless internet access service. One such company is Square Mile one of Europe’s largest marina and cover within 50 u.k. marinas with Wi-Fi access. MDL marinas in the U.K. provide their own Wi-Fi.
What happens when there’s no plug-in point at say an anchorage or the yacht is no longer in the marinas Wi-Fi hotspot coverage? Where there’s mobile phone coverage offering Mobile Broadband, this is a cost effective means of getting varying online coverage..
Mobile Broadband offers mobile internet access on the go. By plugging in a mobile broadband dongle to a laptop or computer onboard connection speeds of 7.2Mb to 1.8Mb and download data size ranging from Unlimited, 15Gb, to 1Gb. Limits of 1Gb and 3Gb are ideal for checking emails and doing light browsing, not enough for large files. Speeds depend on the signal of the mobile operator with whom you have an agreement, so first ask fellow yacht owners what signal strengths they obtain locally before purchasing.
Online one can search for available hotspots some of which are provided free of charge, Jiwire.com has over thousands of hot spots registered; just enter the post code of your marina to find out availability, another the Cloud, the cloud.net and broadbandexpert.com provides good package comparisons.
For those wanting complete coverage; to make phone calls or emails to purchase marine fuel or need to keep live contact with your office and transfer files Inmarsat have delivered a new Broadband system for mariners. The Satellite Broadband ‘Fleet’ range ‘77’, ‘55’ and ‘33’ system by Inmarsat provides Voice, fax, and data communications for both ocean-going and coastal vessels, delivered via a range of antenna sizes to suit different types of.
Consider carefully your long-term requirements from broadband internet before purchasing and the benefits. If you’re checking real time weather reports, downloading updated charts, or allowing your kids to game online then look for a provider that can handle heavy broadband demand in the harbour of your choice. Mobile broadband on coastal passages is one of the less expensive means to keep in touch when there is a signal available.
When making large marine fuel purchases timely communications from offshore can reduce fuel costs and also offset the investment in Broadband on board.
